Game



Aug. 27, 1929. c, U E 1,726,115

GAME

Filed Dec. 14, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Attorney Patented Aug. 27,v 1929.

UNITED STATES owns it. MUG-LEE, or LOS antennas, cAimonmaz GAME. i

Application filed December 14, 1927. sem m. 289,896. I v

- My invention has to do with the art. of game devices, one of its principal objects being the provision of means for facilitating the playingof card games and particularly the instructing of students of such games.

A particular regard in which my invention may be employed to advantage is found in following, play-by-play, bridge games, for instance, such as are broadcast over the radio or as published in various publications. Likewise instructors in the art of playing card games-will find my device of particular value in clearly illustrating and explaining each play to pupils.

While obviously my invention may be utilized to'advantage in playing practically any card game; one of its principal uses Will perhaps be found in playing auction 'bridge; and to facilitate a clear under- 0 standing of my invention I shall illustrate and describe it in that particular adaptation.

For this purpose I employ the accompanying drawings, in which: p

Fig. 1 is a plan showing my playing board;

Fig. 2 illustrates a card block; Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating the playing board, together with the card .blocks in place for playing the played blocks'being indicated in dotted lines;

' Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line 4-4 of Fig. 5 is a perspective of a bidding block; Fig. 6 is a cross-section showing a modified form of trick indicator, and mounting therefor; i

Fig. 7 is a plan of a'modified form of board showingparticularly a modified hand frame. arrangement; i.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of groove; l

- And Fig. 9 is a perspective of a modified form of block.

In the drawings I show a board body M, which may be made of any suitablematerial such as wood, in which are formed four hand frames for holding the playing hands, the north frame being designated H, the south frame H', the east frame H and the west frame H I also show a playing frame P, into which frame the various plays are made; also a bidding frame F to indicate the nature and extent of each bid; and a trick frame T for holding the various P y tricks; g th r with a trick mar.

eating frame I in which to indicate the winner of each trick. The hand frames H, H, H and H are each made up of four grooves 10,'to be here inafter described. The bidding frame F is composed of four grooves 10 designated respectively S, W, N and E, to correspond with the-south, west, north and east hands, which will also be hereinafter descr bed. The playing frame P, around WlllCll are symmetrically arranged the said hand frames, is indicated by stamping on or a depressionin board body M. I prefer to form frame P by making a slight depression, in the-form of a shallow groove, in body M, marking S, W,N and E designations therein to correspond with the various hands. When formed in this manner the playing blocks may not be. too easily displaced therefrom. Trick frame T is composed of thirteen grooves 10, to be hereinafter described, each groove holding a trick after ithas been played and removed from playing frame P. Trick indicating frame I is likewise composed of thirteen grooves 10, to 'be later described, and in each groove there is a slidable indicating vblock 12 for indicating the winner of each trick. At the top of the trick indicating frame I are shown S, W, N and E designations, to correspond with the various hands, these designations being preferably stamped on body M in the proper positions, and the hand winning each trick is indicated by moving trick indicating block 12 to a position directly under the proper designation. T Y 1 For playing the various card games to which my invention is adaptable, I employ, in lieu of the usual cards,'card blocks B, fifty-two in number, which carry the proper card designations preferably both on their top and on one of their side faces, which side face is placed towards the player. These blocks may be made up of any suit- 1 able material, such as wood, pasteboard or composition and of any suitable size. I find a wooden block of a size about x x to be suitable. I

Hand frame grooves 10 may be of a size 5 suitable to take card blocks B loosely and they may be of any suitable length. For instance I now prefer to make these grooves aboutl/i inch deep and inch wide and 6 inches long. v

10 of the trick indicating frame I are of the same depth and width as grooves 10 and are about 1% inches long.

Indicating blocks 12 may be identical in 7 size and shape with blocks 20, but without any character designations on either face.

To further illustrate and describe my invention, I shall here describe the playing .of atypical hand of auction bridge with the use of my device. To aid in this description I show (Fig. 3) thirteen card blocks 3, representing typical auction bridge hands, in

each of the hand-frames H, H H and H The-playing procedure is as follows: Suppose the south hand (H bids one spade. A bidding block 20, marked l-spade, will be placed in groove 10 in the bidding frame F opposite the S designation to indicate the bid (the block 20 thus placed in groove 10 being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3). The west hand then bids two hearts, placing a bidding block 20 marked 2- hearts in the biddin frame F opposite the W designation such block also being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3). The

' north and east hands pass, each placing a bidding block 20 marked pass in bidding frame F opposite the proper hand designation. (Those blocks also being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3). bids two spades, placin bidding block 20, mar ed an additional 2-spades (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) in bidding frame F alongside the first mentioned spade bidding block 20. The remaining hands then pass. Thus the south hand has won the bid and west hand plays first, playing, for instance, the 3 of hearts. To make the play the card block B bearing the 3 of hearts designation is removed from groove 10 and placed in the laying. frame -P on the W designation. ext the north hand plays the 10 of hearts, following a like procedure as described in connection with the first described play, except that the card block B is placed on the N designation in the playing frame, P. The east hand plays the king of hearts and the south hand the 6 of hearts. wins the trick, so the four card bl'ocks B, making u the trick, are removed from the playing fiiame P and placed in the trick frame T, in the first groove 10 of the series, and the trick indicating block 12 in the South hand then' East hand thus,

,erable to have the playing groove 10 opposite the trick frame groove 10 in which the played trick is placed, is

moved alon that groove 10 to a position directly un er the hand designation E. To facilitate proper positioning of the indicating blocks 12 in their trick indicating positions, lines 15 may be stamped on the trick indicating frame as shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3 I have illustrated the played trick in the trick frame T and the indicating block 12 in its indicating position in groove 10 in dotted lines. The following plays, until all thirteen tricks are played, are repeated in like manner, and when the game is completed the trick frame T and indicator I will disclose the results of the game.

It is obvious that the details hereinbefore set forth may be modified in many respects without departing from the scope of my invention; and in Fig, 6 I haveeshown how the indicating blocks12 may be mounted in grooves 10 so as to be slidable lengthwise of grooves 10 but not removable vertically A .therefrom this being accomplished by forming the indicator blocks 12 in two parts, as shown 12 in Fig. 6, and cementing or otherwise joining the sections together after they are inserted in the grooves.

Also in Fig. 7 I have shown how my device may be modified by making the hand frames H, H, H and H in the form of one continuous groove 10 of sufficient length to hold the entire hand of card blocks B instead of dividing those frames into four grooves or spaces as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

While in my now preferred form- I show the grooves of the various frames as having vertical'side walls; it may be preferable in some cases to make the grooves V-shaped, asshown in Fig. 8, and to make blocks B,

blocks 20 and blocks 12 V-shaped at their bottom to conform to the V-shaped grooves or frames. Such a modified form of block is shown in Fig. 9.

by the dotted line 16 through block It will be understood that I might elimi- I nate the playing frame P and still retain a completely operative device. For instance, if the'pla ing frame P were eliminated, the plays cou frames into the trick frameT in the proper groove, and the trick indicating block 12 moved to its proper indicating osition after the trick has been played. owever vidual plays into the playing frameiP and after the trick is completely played,to lift the entire trick from the playing frame P and lace it in the trick frame T.

Also in some adaptations it may be pref frame P pro'ect somewhat above the surface of bod M, t us obstructing each posite hand.-

d be made directly from the hand.

:players view 0 the 011- I now find it convenient to make the indiand description are to be considered merely as illustrative of and not restrictive on the broader claims appended hereto, for various changes in design, structure and arrangement may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of said claims.

I claim: I

1. A playing device of the character described, comprising, in combination, a grooved board and a plurality of playing blocks bearing playing card indicia, said board having four sets of block-receiving grooves arranged symmetrically about a central point on the board and each adapted to receive the playing blocks of a hand, said board also having a series of trick receiving grooves each adapted to receive the playing blocks of a trick, and having also indicator grooves and blocks moving therein, there being an indicator groove and block for and adjacent each of the trick receiving grooves.

2. A playing device of the character described, comprising, in combination, a grooved board and a plurality of playing blocks bearing playing card indicia, said board having four sets of block-receiving grooves arranged symmetrically about a central point on the board and each adaptedto receive the playing blocks of a hand, said board also having a series of trick receiving grooves each adapted to receive the playing blocks of a trick, and having also indicator grooves and blocks moving therein there being an indicator groove and block tor and adjacent each of the trick receiving grooves; a series of bidding blocks each carrying suit indicia, and the board having grooves adapted to receive and retain said bidding blocks.

3. A game device of the character described, comprising, in combination: a board and a plurality of playing blocks bearing playing card indicia; said board having a groove for receiving a trick While being played and having four sets of block-receiving grooves arranged symmetrically about a central point on the board and each adapted to receive the playing blocks of a hand; said board also having a series of trick receiving grooves each adapted to receive the playing blocks of a trick, and having also lndicator grooves and blocks moving therein, there being an indicator groove and block for and adjacent each of the trick receiving grooves; a series of bidding blocks each car rying suit indicia and the board having grooves adapted to receive and retain said bidding blocks.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day of December. 1927,

QHARLES'M. MUGLER. 

